TURKISH PRESS REVIEW

WEDNESDAY JULY 17, 1996

Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Kalemli and a delegation of
deputies has met with Igor Stroyev, speaker of the upper chamber
of the Russian Parliament, the Federation Council, the Anatolia
news agency reported. Kalemli warned Stroyev about the close
relations between some Duma (the lower chamber of the Russian
Parliament) deputies and the PKK. Stroyev replied that Russia
does not want to intervene in the internal affairs of Turkey and
that they oppose contacts with the separatist organization.

After the meeting, Kalemli said: "For the past 500 years, the
relations between these two countries were at the level of
national governments. But now it has become necessary to form
bilateral links between the parliaments, which are the true
representatives of the two nations". Stroyev said that his
country places a great deal of importance on Turco-Russian
relations and that they will consider inter-parliamentary
collaboration a priority.

The Treasury Undersecretariat granted investment incentive
certificates worth TL 149.262 trillion to 392 projects in May.
The manufacturing sector was granted incentives for 275 projects,
the service sector for 95 projects, the mining sector for 11, the
energy sector for four and agriculture for seven projects. Once
concluded, the projects are expected to create jobs for 21,374
people. /All papers/

US permanent envoy to the UN, Madeleine Albright will bring
proposals on the Cyprus question when she pays visits to Athens,
Ankara and Cyprus. Albright will reportedly be offering ways to
demilitarize the island by reducing the number of Turkish troops
in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and decreasing
the arms expenditure of the Greek Cypriot side. It is reported
that she will also bring a proposal to establish a multinational
force on the island. Albright will visit Turkey on Friday.
Richard Beattie, President Clinton's envoy, is also expected on
Friday. /All papers/

OPC was established in 1991 after the Gulf War to protect Kurds
living in northern Iraq from Saddam Hussein's forces. The
multinational force of British, French, Turkish and US forces is
mainly composed of fighter planes. OPC planes have been
patrolling the skies of northern Iraq since the UN declared a
no-fly zone above the 36th parallel. The planes are stationed in
Incirlik in southeastern Turkey but the force also has a Military
Coordination Centre (MCC) in Zakho in northern Iraq. The mandate
of the OPC was last extended for only one month just before the
establishment of the new pro-Islamist Welfare Party (RP) and True
Path Party (DYP) coalition. /All papers/

During military operations initiated by the Turkish security
forces in the regions close to the Iranian border after a recent
PKK attack against the Gulluk border patrol station in Baskale,
Van, 43 terrorists were killed and two others arrested. The PKK
separatist organization suffered heavy blows also in Bursa and in
the Aegean where 27 terrorists have been arrested.

On the other hand, the warning of Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa
Kalemli to Russian Duma Speaker Gennady Selezniyev that
separatists of the PKK terrorist organization use every
opportunity to win support in Russia proved to be effective, and
a PKK meeting scheduled to convene today in Moscow has been
cancelled by Russian officials.

Turkey also warned Italy that also has allowed a meeting of the
so-called Kurdish Parliament-in-exile on its territory, and noted
that the meeting directed by the PKK terrorist organization was
interpreted as a hostile initiative threatening Turkish
territorial integrity and national unity. Giving implicit support
to terrorist organizations is an act that in a way encourages
terrorism, Turkey stressed. /All papers/

As trade with Romania grows, so the need for more banking
facilities increases. Bayraktar Holdings has answered the call
for another bank using its Robank subsidiary. Robank will open
the way for Turkish businessmen to achieve more in Romania where
trading has already reached 154 million dollars yearly.
/Cumhuriyet/